Montgomery, Ala – “The tourism numbers have been released from the State Tourism Department for 2016,” said Teresa Todd, President of the Athens-Limestone County Tourism Association, and the numbers are great! With our Bicentennial Celebration starting this year (2017) and continuing through 2019, I foresee an even great percentage of travelers coming to visit Limestone County and many other Alabama Counties.”

In our community travelers spent $129 million and were responsible for 1,569 jobs last year in Limestone County, according a report conducted for the Alabama Tourism Department. To break it down another way, that figure represents a 3.9% increase in traveler spending on hotels, restaurants, shopping and transportation.

Looking statewide, the tourism industry grew by 5.4% with more than 25 million visitors spending $13.4 billion last year, according to the report conducted by Auburn University Montgomery.

“The tourism numbers for 2016 bring great economic news for Alabama,” sState Tourism director Lee Sentell said. “The dollars spent on tourism creates jobs, it grows local economies and generates needed tax revenues. Travel spending in Alabama has doubled over the previous 14 years.” Without the dollars collected by the tourism industry each household in the state would end up paying $444 in additional taxes, according to the report developed by economist Dr. Keivan Deravi. Todd gave the amount locally saved; without the dollars collected by the Tourism Industry each household in Limestone County would end up paying $341 in additional taxes.

The five counties in which tourists spent the most are: Baldwin County with $4.2 billion in travel-related spending, Jefferson County with $1.9 billion, Madison County with $1.2 billion, Mobile County with $1.1 billion and Montgomery County with $814 million.